Fans of Netflix's popular political drama House of Cards may have been disappointed to hear that the company wouldn't be renewing the show for a sixth season. This news came in the wake of sexual assault allegations against one of the show's leading actors, Kevin Spacey.

However, it seems that Netflix has changed their mind regarding the future of the show - to a degree. While the streaming platform will likely not be inviting Spacey back on set for any further filming, Variety reports that the show's producers are still eager to move forward with a shorter eight-episode sixth season in the star's absence.

Writing a character as memorable as Frank Underwood out of House of Cards will certainly be no small task but it seems producers are already thinking of ways to do just that, with one possibility under consideration being the potential death of Spacey's character. Doing so could result in the focus of the show shifting to Claire Underwood, played by co-star Robin Wright.

As nice as it would be for fans to see a satisfying conclusion to House of Cards, Variety reports that contractual obligations between Netflix and Spacey may prove to be a difficult hurdle for the show to overcome. Specifically, producers seem uncertain as to whether or not they will legally be able to move forward without Spacey's involvement on the show.